- For the first time, co-branded Internet homepage launched in India
- Yahoo! India to be the default homepage for all TTSL Internet access devices
- Yahoo! India to manage and host the co-branded portal
- Portal will be monetized through advertisements
Continuing to innovate and launch unique services for its subscribers in India, Tata Teleservices Limited, the fastest-growing pan-India telecom service provider in the country, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Yahoo! India, the leading Internet company. The strategic partnership will provide a compelling web experience and a unique user interface to all Tata Indicom customers. As part of this partnership, a co-branded Yahoo! India homepage will serve as the default across all Tata Indicom Internet access devices.
The partnership will enable Yahoo! India to reach out directly to millions of users subscribing to Tata Indicom Internet services, such as Photon Plug2Surf, Photon Plus and Photon Pro Wireline Broadband. Tata Indicom subscribers will also be able to find relevant information on services like bill payment, tariff plans, promotions, etc. on the portal. At the same time, they will also have access to the best online content and communication services through Yahoo!’s flagship properties like Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Cricket, Yahoo! Mobile, etc. The Yahoo! India homepage already attracts around 3 million consumers every day (Source: comScore April’09).
Mr. Gopal Krishna, Vice-President and Head of Audience (Emerging Markets), Yahoo!, said: “Tata Teleservices’ fast-paced growth makes this partnership strategic and special for Yahoo! India. Providing world-class online content and services to a consumer on the go is integral to our growth. This partnership opens a brand new opportunity to deliver the best of Web content and services, anywhere and everywhere.”
Under this partnership, when a new Tata Teleservices customer logs in to the Internet using any Tata Indicom Internet access device or service, he/she will see a co-branded Yahoo! India homepage with ready access to all Yahoo! services.
“Our partnership with Yahoo! India is first of its kind in the telecom space in India. This alliance will allow Yahoo! to reach a wider audience in the Internet and digital spaces, and gain access to a captive user base to create not only a deeper connection with users, but also deliver a seamless user experience across platforms,” Mr. Lloyd Mathias, Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Teleservices Limited, said. “Tata Indicom’s Internet and data services product lines are the best in the industry and this joint initiative will open up potential avenues to extend the popularity of co-branded portals to audiences globally,” he added.
Mr. Zubin Jimmy Dubash, Assistant Vice-President (Value-Added Services), Tata Teleservices Limited, was instrumental in putting the TTSL-Yahoo! alliance in place. He said: “Tata Indicom is leading the way in delivering Next-Gen services and creating a new benchmark for convergence and data services. Our continued customer focus and emphasis on delivering the best experience and value to users is driving a new era of true convergence with the help of internet partner like Yahoo”.
About Yahoo! India:
Yahoo! India (www.yahoo.in), launched in June 2000, has established itself as the pioneering and leading Internet portal providing value added services for Web users in India and users abroad with special interest in India. Yahoo! India seeks to provide a compelling web experience to Internet users. A full range of tools and marketing solutions from Yahoo! India help businesses connect with Internet users and make it a ‘must-buy’ partner of choice for advertisers, globally. Yahoo! India also offers an array of communications, commerce and content services that serve as a starting point for online needs of Internet users.
About Tata Teleservices Limited
Tata Teleservices Limited is one of India's leading private telecom service providers, having a pan-India presence. The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers under the Tata Indicom brand, and uses the latest technology platform(s) for its wireless network. With a customer base of over 37 million, Tata Teleservices Limited, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, covers over 320,000 towns and villages across all of India’s 22 telecom circles. In November 2008, Tata Teleservices entered into an agreement with Japanese telecom major NTT DOCOMO, as part of which the Japanese company acquired a 26% stake in TTSL for USD 2.7 billion. The transaction marks a key step in the strategic evolution of Tata Teleservices, as it moves towards a pan-India dual network presence. The company also recently announced a unique reverse equity swap strategic agreement between its fully-owned telecom tower subsidiary, Wireless TT Info-Services Limited, and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited—with the combined entity kicking off operations with 18,000 towers, thereby becoming the largest independent entity in this space in the country. Tata Teleservices’ bouquet of telephony services includes mobile services, wireless desktop phones, public booth telephony and wireline services.
